Is George Clooney leaving America?

For many people, the choice offered on Nov. 5, 2024 couldn’t have been more clear, but a truly terrifying number of Americans proved us wrong. They elected Donald Trump for a second term, and in the process destroyed the hope many people had for the future of our country. 

That group of devastated souls includes several major politicians and Hollywood stars, like George Clooney, who famously wrote about Joe Biden’s lack of aptitude for another term. The 63-year-old shared, via a July letter published by the New York Times, that — while he continues to hold love for Biden — he felt Democrats needed a new nominee. 

Which is exactly what we got, in the form of Kamala Harris, a wise decision that unfortunately did not yield a Demoratic win. It instead paved the way for another Trump term, due to a myriad of factors including sexism, racism, stark political division, and misinformation. Regardless of the precise causes, Trump’s November victory served as a heartbreaking moment for many Americans, some of whom are completely fed up. 

Clooney is among the group of Americans so tired of the country they’re ready to throw in the towel, according to rampant online chatter, which may rob the nation of the silver-haired fox for good. Rumors have been swirling for months now that Clooney is on his way out, but its not the first time people have claimed the “red wave” is pushing out Democrat A-listers. 

Is George Clooney really ditching the U.S. for greener pastures?

Essentially any time an unpopular politician (see: every politician) is elected, a portion of the country spirals into despair, and no shortage of them threaten to leave the country for good. There was no shortage of such threats in the wake of Donald Trump’s second victory, as millions of Americans were forced to face the reality of another four years of chaos.

At the head of the traumatized pack were several high-profile celebrities, including Oprah and Clooney. Both were adamant supporters of Kamala Harris, and — like a good half of the nation — were devastated to learn that she lost to Trump. That led to instant claims that they’d be ditching our shores for greener pastures — but you should never believe everything you read online. 

For one thing, various quotes attributed to Clooney — including the ones claiming he “can’t take the red wave anymore” — aren’t actually real. Those are fabricated by various misinformation or satire sites, looking to lure people in under false pretenses. In reality, neither Clooney nor Oprah (nor Olivia Rodrigo, Mark Hamill, or Miley Cyrus) ever said they were going to leave, and they have no actual plans to depart the country. 

The claim, which has been circulating on social media for months now, was deemed patently false by Snopes, which notes that the Clooneys have long owned properties outside the States. So yeah, they don’t spend all their time here — but they haven’t since 2014. That doesn’t mean that Clooney is done with America for good, but it might mean we see a bit less of him over the next four years.